Yep. Doesn't matter what every film mfg in the world tells you NOT to do. There's no better way to learn than the hard way!
Even with an air-evac bagging device, that still wouldn't get all the condensation-risk air out of the film holder itself. If it had that much vac draw if would probably pull the film itself out of position.
Store unexposed film at 21°C (70°F) or lower in the original sealed package. For extended periods, store film at
13°C (55°F) to preserve consistency.
To avoid moisture condensation on film that has been refrigerated, allow the film to warm up to room temperature before opening the package. Typical warm-up times are given in the table below.
Unprocessed Film
•Storing exposed or unexposed film under high temperature and humidity conditions will cause adverse speed, color balance and physical property changes. Store film under the following conditions.
Short-to-medium term Storage:•Building material, finishes used on newly manufactured furniture, paints and bonding agents may produce gases which affect photographic film. Do not store film, lightproof boxes of film, loaded cameras or film holders under these conditions.
Below 15ºC (59ºF) .................. (Refrigerator)
Long-term Storage:
Below 0ºC (32ºF) ........................... (Freezer)
•Before use, allow films to stand at room temperature: over 3 hours for refrigerated film, and over 6 hours for frozen film. Long rolls such as 100 feet (30.5m) will require additional time. Opening the package/box while film is cold may cause harmful condensation.
The technical publications for most films are very brief on storage. This is what kodak has to say:
And here's Fuji's Take:
That’s about the most you’re going to get as guidance from a manufacturer. Ilford, for example gives no information of any kind for how to store your film.
I think it's pretty clear that the best way to store film is sealed in its original packaging, but no guidance for what to do once the packaging is no longer sealed from any of the major manufacturers. And definitely no advice as to the question that OP has asked regarding film holders.
I have purchased a number of boxes of 4x5 HP5 over the past few years and they were all packaged in a 3 part box, inside an unsealed light resistant plastic bag. I'm sure the cardboard and bag offered some resistance to the environment of my refrigerator, but at no point were my boxes of 4x5 HP5 sealed in the way that a box of 4x5 portra is sealed in a plastic-coated, bonded foil and paper bag, or even the way that a roll of 35mm is (sort of) sealed in a plastic canister.
The longest I have stored sheets of HP5 in their unsealed packaging in the fridge was maybe a few months with no ill effects, but those same boxes may have been sitting in a distributor's deep freezer and/or refrigerator for who knows how long.
I have also stored opened packages of 4x5 Portra 400 in the fridge for up to 2 months in just the 3 part box having discarded the now ripped apart bag it came in again with no ill effects.
Whether or not one would see deleterious effects from the environment of a refrigerator or freezer on film in a film holder is something that none of us can know without trying it ourselves. There is no data to refer to, no manufacturer's publication to look up. Hence this entire thread of people speculating.
All it would take for us to have some kind of answer to discuss, is for someone to stick one holder in the fridge, one in the freezer, and leave one at room temp for a good while and then see what the results are when compared to a sheet of film that was stored per manufacturer's recommendations then shot and processed promptly. The worst that could happen is that someone loses out on $20 worth of film but gains the knowledge that OP seeks.
As for my own 2¢, I wouldn't hesitate to stick a holder in the fridge or freezer if I thought it was at all necessary, but I've never had a need to store loaded film. Once it's in the holder it pretty quickly goes into the camera and then off to be processed. And anyway film can sit out at room temp for the entire duration after you buy it and before it's expiration date (even past expiration sometimes) and still be just fine when you shoot it, and I've seen expiration dates that are 2 or 3 years out, so I think you could just leave the film in the holder at room temp for however long you need to store it. I doubt you're going to keep the film in the holder for so long that it ever needs to be refrigerated.
If you absolutely MUST store a loaded film holder in a refrigerator, then I would suggest you get a very heavy, good resealable zip lock-type bag and place a large desiccant in with the holder. Purge as much air as you can out of the bag and store it inside of another bag of same type.
When time comes to use it again, place the sealed bag on a counter top and let it stand for a full 24 hours to come to ambient temperature before unsealing the bags to avoid condensation on the film or film holder.
Reactivate the desiccant (dry) it properly before re-using.
I would NOT place any loaded film holder in a freezer ever.
How about using the vacuum sealing bags?
As long as you are sure it doesn't crush or bend the film back, I suppose that would work for the refrigerator.
I was thinking to put it in film holder and vacuumed seal that.
SO vision film has to be stored at 12c only?
Cold temperatures are best for slowing the inevitable changes in sensitivity. If raw stock must be kept for periods of up to 3 months, temperatures of 13°C (55°F) or less are appropriate. If raw stock must be kept longer than 3 months, freezing at -18° to -23°C (0 to -10°F) is recommended. After any cold storage, be sure to allow the films to equilibrate slowly to the ambient temperature where it will be used. This is necessary to prevent moisture condensation and spotting. Conditioning time will vary with the thickness of the packages and the temperature and dew point of the outside air. A 100-foot roll of 16 mm can take as little as 1/2 hour to condition whereas a 1000-foot roll of 35 mm may take up to 3 hours. Do not open the packages if they feel colder than the ambient temperature. Always use films soon after purchasing.
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